"Detoxing" – the myriad and sundry ways of removing metals, toxins, and other nasties from the body - is becoming increasingly popular in alternative and natural medicine, and appears to be inching its way into the more traditional medical arenas as well. The beneficial health results produced by these procedures cannot be ignored. As a result, it seems that everywhere you turn, there are companies claiming to have the best product for detoxing your system. "Clay and water... those two lifelines are all you will often need to return your body to a state of optimal health," states Perry A., author of Living Clay, Nature's Own Miracle Cure.

According to Jason Eaton: "There are many methods available in both alternative and natural medicine that are designed to "detoxify the body". However, nearly all of them do exactly the opposite: They stimulate the body to release toxic byproducts stored in fat, organs, and other tissues. The result is that these substances are dumped back into the active metabolism. The body, then, is placed under a great deal of toxic stress, even to the point of toxic shock.

This poses quite a problem, for the body has stored these substances for a very specific reason: It has been incapable of eliminating the substances without causing significant damage. Therefore, the short cut "quick fix" methods to detoxify the body can actually be quite dangerous, and the natural and comprehensive methods can require a lot of attention, hard work, and anywhere from six months to three years to accomplish, and are often accompanied by uncomfortable symptoms as the body cleans itself." What is lacking is an avenue to get the released toxins out of the body.

So what's a person to do? Many experts, including Jason Eaton, recommend clay baths for detoxing and chelation.

Clay baths have been safely used for centuries. These days, they're used to treat everything from tired, achy muscles to heavy metal poisoning, radiation and chemical/pesticide exposure. Very recently, some surprising and encouraging results have been reported when using clay baths to treat autism.

Certain clays have the ability to remove toxins through the pores of the skin. Discussing clay baths, in his book The Clay Cure, Ran Knishinsky states, "It is a fairly simple procedure, and it can do a lot of good in a relatively short time. Because of clay's excellent drawing effect, the clay has the power to literally pull toxicities through the pores of the skin in the bath." And Wendell Hoffman, author of Using Energy to Heal, found that bentonite clay, when used in a bath, can and does draw out toxic chemicals through the pores of the skin.

Jason Eaton states on his website: "Taking a therapeutic clay bath, lasting anywhere from 15 minutes to two hours, is one of the most effective methods in existence to help assist the body in the elimination of toxic substances which have accumulated in the body. Clay baths stimulate the lymphatic system and deeply cleanse the body's largest breathing organ (the skin). Acting both directly on the body and acting as a systematic catalyst, clay used in this manner interacts directly with the body's immune system, and helps to remove the post-digestive burden placed on the major organs of the body."

Dr. Miriam Jang, M.D., author of "Breakthroughs in Autism," a synopsis of the DAN protocol, says: "I have put a huge number of patients on these clay baths and the levels of heavy metals – mercury, lead, arsenic, aluminum, and cadmium have come down dramatically... I have been monitoring the levels of metals using all three methods (TD DMPS, oral DMSA and clay baths) and the clay baths are way faster in the removal of metals…One particular patient had very high levels of mercury and levels of lead that were off the charts. In 3 months of twice weekly clay baths, the lead came down dramatically and the mercury disappeared. The muscle weakness associated with high lead levels improved dramatically. Interestingly enough, another 5 months of these clay baths showed even lower levels of lead but the mercury reappeared. This supports the theory that mercury is sequestered in different areas of our body and it takes time to get it all out."

Clay baths may be used for heavy metal toxicity, general chemical toxicity, radiation and chemotherapy recovery, general systemic support by stimulating the lymphatic system, comprehensive cleansing protocols, as well as simply for relaxation and enjoyment. They are wonderful for relieving stress and helping to relax, especially in the evening before bed.

Choosing the Right Clay:

It's important to choose carefully when selecting a clay for your clay baths. While certain clays are ideal, and others are acceptable though not as good, others should be avoided altogether. For clay baths, the experts agree that clean, raw, natural swelling smectite clays are the best. This includes swelling bentonites and montmorillonites, which are often referred to as Living Clays. It's vital to avoid any contaminated clays, as well as any clays with additives. Clay should be stored in containers that are completely sealed, and kept away from petroleum chemicals. Clay should not come into prolonged contact with metals.

Preparing a Clay Bath:

There are several methods that can be used to prepare a clay bath. When using dry powder clay, you can simply scatter 2 cups of dry powder clay into the water as it's running and use your hands to mix it and swish away any lumps of clay that might form. To avoid lumps altogether, you can 'premix' the clay to a liquid state by mixing approximately 1 part clay to 8 parts water in a lidded container. Shake vigorously, and allow the clay to sit for a couple of hours, then shake again. Use 4 cups or more of liquid clay in your bath. A clay bath should last ideally between 15-20 minutes in extremely hot water and longer in a less hot bath. Submerge as much of your body as possible during the bath. The more clay that is used in the therapy, the more powerful the response.

In some rare severely toxic cases the clay may turn dark and gooey. If the water has not turned dark, after your bath scoop some of the clay water to water your plants. Run lots of water to rinse the clay out of your tub.

Jason Eaton states, "Hot showers, baths, and steam treatments cause a forced respiration through the skin, resulting in a rapid uptake of gases, ions, and water directly into the tissues of the body. Indeed, any time one isolates a location of the body, covering it with any substance and then applying heat (even if this is only heat generated by insulation), an "environmental exchange" is going to occur, resulting in the absorption of substances through the skin and the release of substances through the pores of the body." For this reason, he recommends nothing be added to the clay bath – no herbs, oils, fragrances, etc. Herbal treatments, or other skin treatments can be done after the clay bath if desired. The only exception to this rule would be the addition of natural sea salt, which simply acts as a tonic, and increases the ion exchange capability of the clay in a clay bath.